Adventure To The Heartland Of Football

adik^manis

Sumber: Malaysian Digest

Macarana Stadium in Rio /pic: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo

Imagine this following scenario: alien species from outer space will be sent to earth somewhere between 12 June and 13 July this year in order to analyze and study the human species.

Upon returning to their planet and the aliens would conclude in their report that humans are of different shapes, sizes, and colour. They all breathe air to survive and eat food for energy.

However, humans dedicate their lives to one thing - football!

Yes folks! that’s the exact period in which the FIFA World Cup will take centre stage. You can be guaranteed that most of earth's population will be glued to their tele-screens while the topic of conversation in newspapers, radio stations, TV channels and everywhere else will be surrounding the World Cup fiesta.

You can't escape it, it’s inevitable, regardless of whether you love or hate football. So, what's the best way to enjoy this year's edition of the World Cup? Well the answer lies in actually experiencing it in Brazil itself!

Brazil - The Home of Football

England may have invented the game of football, but Brazil has always been regarded by many as the spiritual home of football. The country practically lives and breathes the game and its no surprise that they produce more professional footballers than any other nation.

Their 'Samba' style of play is a symbol of attractive and exciting football while some of the greatest players ever hail from Brazil. Greats like Pele, Garrincha, Zico, Romario, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho are some of the most prominent names in the history of the sport.

Football is so popular in Brazil that some even see it as a religion! So, this is the reason that being in Brazil during the World Cup will offer an exciting experience! Even when not at stadiums or watching games, you will truly be eating, sleeping, and breathing football!

Backpacking to Brazil

If you've just planned your trip to the World Cup, you're probably too late to see them live.

It’s will also be next to impossible to get your hands on match tickets while accommodation rates of hotels, hostels, or even apartments, will be quite costly. You see, people began booking and planning their trips not just months, but years ago.

But then again, even if you are able to get into the stadiums, just being in Brazil during this time is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. As mentioned, Brazil just breathes football. There will be mushrooms of large screens set up in public areas or you could go to a bar amongst many other places and just soak into the atmosphere!

Good news for all Malaysians - according to the website VisaHQ (www.visahq.com), we DO NOT require a visa to enter Brazil. Malaysians are allowed to stay up to 90 days in Brazil. A Visa is however needed for those on business or study purpose.

Travel Tips

Here are some useful travel tips while in Brazil (taken from rookietraveler.com):

1) Bus, taxis, and subways are the popular mode of transportation in Brazil. Just take that note the nation comes to a stop when Brazil plays. Catching a taxi or a bus will be challenging as they would pull over somewhere just to watch the Brazil’s game. So, you may want to keep that in mind when you’re planning to get around the country.

2) People say that the beaches in Rio are not safe at night. However, when I (author of rookietraveller.com) went there, we were on the beach at night and nothing happened. Keeping in mind that our judgement was impaired by alcohol, I wouldn’t recommend frolicking on the beaches of Rio during wee hours of the night if you are concerned that your safety is at risk. Well, I never felt like that during my entire stay in Rio.

3) There will be street vendors selling beers and water along the streets at three times the price you would pay purchasing at a grocery store. If you do decide to go to the grocery store, keep in mind that drinks cost more if they are chilled. That’s right! A chilled six pack beer cost more than a six pack at room temperature. Smart move store... smart move!

4) You should hug your bags. You’ll probably be carrying a backpack or some sort of bag to carry your stuffs. It is a bad idea to carry it on your back. The best is to swing it around to the front and hug yourself so that your arms cover the bag. You will notice that everyone carries their bags like this... even the locals.

5) Carrying your big camera around your neck is also a bad idea. Keep it in your bag until you’re ready to take pictures then put it away after using it. Everyone is aware that those cameras are very expensive and you could potentially be a target for criminals. It’s probably best to take a hand held camera which is smaller in size.

The World Cup Quest

The 1999 film, 'The Cup'

The 1999 Bhutan comedy movie, 'The Cup' (originally the Tibetan title: 'Phorpa'), tell of the story of two young football-crazy Tibetan refugee novice monks in a remote Himalayan monastery in India. The duo desperately tried to obtain a television for the monastery to watch the 1998 World Cup finals. All the monks had to figure out was how to pay for the satellite dish to pull in the broadcast.

'The Cup' was an international hit and showcased the depth to which people would go to in order to watch the World Cup.

So to those actually making the quest to Brazil to enjoy the tournament, just know this, many people around the world would take the opportunity to swap places with you!

- http://www.malaysiandigest.com/f ... nd-of-football.html